The Study of the Electoral Trajectory of Bharatiya Janata Party in Indian National Politics From 2014 to 2024

Abstract

This dissertation critically examines the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) electoral trajectory in Indian national politics from 2014 to 2024, situating its rise within the broader transformation of India's party system. The study interrogates how the BJP evolved from a coalition-dependent actor into a dominant national force, fundamentally reshaping the contours of Indian democracy. The research argues that the BJP’s electoral ascent was not linear , but a product of a confluence of interacting factors: ideological consolidation rooted in Hindutva and Integral Humanism, organizational discipline nurtured through its deep institutional ties with the RSS, leader centric approach, adaptive electioneering techniques including pioneering use of digital technology and strategic sloganeering, welfare politics that forged direct linkages with marginalized voters, and socioeconomic conditions that amplified aspirational nationalism. Employing a qualitative methodology grounded in interpretative analysis of ideology, leadership and electioneering, the study traces the BJP’s journey across three critical electoral moments-the watershed victory of 2014, the reinforced dominance of 2019, and the competitive challenge of 2024. Drawing on party system theory, leader-centric elections, and welfare politics it situated these developments within the emergence of what scholars identify as India’s “Fourth Party System.” The dissertation further assesses the broader implications of BJP’s dominance for Indian political culture while acknowledging the renewed political fragmentation signaled by the 2024 general elections. Ultimately, the study contributes an integrated analytical framework for understanding how organisational innovation, ideological mobilization, and sloganeering and electioneering interact to sustain electoral dominance in the world’s largest democracy